


All that remains is the dying memory

by cloudsgrl



Category: The Blackout Club (Video Game), Zanzibar Night (ARG based on The Blackout Club)
Genre: Based on ARG, Brief body horror, Gen, I dont think this is scary but who knows, Mind control mentioned, Novelization, Originally roleplay, Saturation Control, The game this is based on is a horror so keep that in mind, kidnapping mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:15:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26055556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudsgrl/pseuds/cloudsgrl
Summary: In the duration of a month, Rose applied to live in Redacre, met fellow hopefuls and likeminded individuals, and was thus pulled into a conspiracy to undermine whatever forces orchestrated the kidnapping and brainwashing of their new friends.This is Rose's attempt at raiding Banting. Also known as Saturation Control.- based on the Zanzibar Night (a The Blackout Club based ARG) finale, focused on my character, and the events that transpired. Some quotes from emails/fake text messages containing in-game information are included -
Kudos: 1





	All that remains is the dying memory

**Author's Note:**

> Zanzibar Night was an ARG organized by some members of The Blackout Club player based, and took place over three months, leading up to the one year anniversary of The Blackout Club. The majority of the players of this ARG did not join until a month before the end, and as such there was a lot of information undiscovered or left unknown.
> 
> The game spanned across Twitter, emails, newsletters, Discord messages, and a monthly live-stream podcast, which culminated in a finale of events, which you will see summarized below.
> 
> While Rose (my character) did not do much during the finale, I wanted to try and encapsulate where my brain went, how it reacted to the situations, and combine that with actual texts I received while playing the game.
> 
> I hope to one day do a story regarding the characters of Bea, Monty, August, and CPCE, but considering how much I struggled to get this written, I might not.
> 
> Now, please enjoy, Zanzibar Night.

Chorus Communities (@ChorusCommVA)  
Do you yearn for a place where family and community are above all? Our housing programs combine two essential things for the family: affordability and security. For more information please fill out this form, and a representative will get a hold of you. https://bit.ly/XXXXXX

Rose, a twenty-two years old, femme nonbinary recent college graduate should be studying for the teacher certification exams. However, Rose sat nervously in the back of the tightly packed van, feeling their stomach twist and turn as with every bump they got closer and closer to Banting. Monty sat in the driver’s seat, puffing on his cigar at an attempt of nonchalance. Everyone’s nerves were riding high, everyone was anxious and uncertain as to how this raid would go. Rose had prepared as much as they could for this moment, for this raid. Rose had a rope hooked in a belt loop at their waist, and resisted the urge to fiddle with the flashlight they insisted on bringing. There were additional items stashed in their clothes: things like a lockpick, or one of Emerald’s homemade tranq darts, some firecrackers, and a couple cans of spray foam insulation in their pockets.

This group of people, odd as though they may be, were all gathered in this unmarked van in hopes of rescuing friends from Banting. From CHORUS, and whatever attempts at brainwashing or noodling or whatever the teenagers called it. Some younger, some much younger than Rose felt comfortable with, but this was not Rose’s call. Rose had to trust they knew what they were doing.

At a stop sign, Monty paused and began handing out wrapped parcels, to which Rose took theirs nervously. Some of the others seemed eager, and were ready to open theirs, but Rose wasn’t expecting theirs at all. “Who is this from?”

Monty coughed. The air smelled heavy of cigar smoke, but they didn’t dare open any windows and draw attention. “It’s from Bea. Open it now or later. I don’t care.”

Bea. Beatrice Sweet. A sweet older woman who lost her dear husband and threw herself into working for CHORUS. The kind woman who offered comfort and advice with difficult topics. A woman who had been brainwashed and manipulated, and recently woke up. Bea and her stories of Edward, her long dead husband, and his daring.

Rose may have never met Bea Sweet outside of an email chain, but Rose felt overcome with emotion that she would bother to give a present. To give something even at this moment, when everything could go horribly wrong. Rose hid their tears, and opened the present. In their hands, Rose held a mastiff statue, the mastiff statue. If Rose remembered correctly, Edward had whittled it himself for Bea, and the fact that she gifted it to Rose? That was far more than Rose felt they deserved.

Rose had to fight the urge to burst into sobs. Gingerly, Rose placed the statue in one of their deeper pockets, and voiced what they hoped others were thinking. “Do we have anything specific planned? Outside just, hoping something happens in our favor?”

Monty pulled up just outside of Banting, the tires pulling against the gravel. The doors of the van open, and the group of fifteen climb out of the cramped space. The clear pine-scent in the air that Rose expected wasn’t here. There was a smog that hung in the air, stale, stifling, and set Rose’s nerves ablaze.

Monty pointed across the street, at an abandoned building with wooden stalls outside. A rotting wooden sign denoted you were here, you made it to Banting in flaking paint. And surrounding the building was a chain link fence, blocking Rose from heading inside. “Go. Bea is working on something to make sure you have time.”

Chorus Communities (@ChorusCommVA)  
All residents are advised to stay away from the CCN building as a large fire has erupted from inside. additionally, Ponte St. has been closed off while firefighters are at work.

Rose approached the chain link fence, and paused. The group, where was the group? Rose looked around, and their friends, Melvs, Aiden, Tobyn were missing. They all were. It was like they disappeared into the thick air. Even turning to find the van, Monty and it too were missing. There was no hint of the van driving away, the gravel would have made some noise at least.

The fence was waist high, and wasn’t sturdy enough in a way that Rose felt comfortable trying to climb over it. Rose was never good at physical activities honestly, but gave it a kick. The gate falls, but Rose does too, thrown off balance by how sturdy it actually was in comparison to what Rose originally thought. With a bump on Rose’s head, and a minor scowl on their face, Rose stepped over the fallen fence, and approached the boarded up building.

There was a thick chain around the door handles, held in place by a lock. Rose felt the urge to approach, the urge to touch the chained door, and moved closer warily. Their head pounded, a pressure resounding in their head, like the beginnings of a migraine. It seemed to come from the air, as if the dense foggy air was a heavy weight steadily pressing on their head.

Standing there, in front of the door, Rose warily looked for another entrance. Rose knew they didn’t have any form of lockpicking tools, and honestly the door itself was intimidating. A red door? Locked closed and preventing people from getting inside? Rose didn’t bring any lockpicks, Rose didn’t plan on kicking in a door right from the get go, and honestly Rose wasn’t that physical of a person. Any form of strength or stamina was going to probably be a failure from the get go.

Melvs: A quick and faint red behind a door when I looked at it with my eyes closed.  
Melvs: Might have been adrenaline but honestly, no idea.

Rose closed their eyes. The faintest of red, shaking, dancing? Moving. Definitely from the other side of the door. Maybe Rose was imagining things in the dark of their eyes. Maybe there wasn’t anything on the other side of the door. Why would there be anything red there? That’s weird. And silly.

Redacre was weird and silly, and honestly Rose wasn’t sure if they wanted to move there anymore. But Rose was all about Ride or Die, and they already chose, as dramatic it might be:

Rose was prepared to die to save those kids. If Rose needed to break down a door, then Rose would break down a door. It would take some time, but Rose was determined. Dani and Quinn and Ari didn’t sign up for this. They didn’t sign up for any of this. August, Monty, CPCE, and even Bea had more of an idea of what they were getting into than any of the teens did. 

A door. A door opening in the doors. A flash of light, a sensation that there is a presence nearby. Approaching? Heading Rose’s way.

Rose,  
I certainly do not believe in ghosts. I become a detective to find out the truth, the story that is often left untold. Perhaps now it has cost me too much.  
But that is truly the price of my fortune.  
August Potroast  
PS: Yes I think there is a supernatural entity.  
[. . .]  
PS: If you sin loud enough, you might meet it. **Dont come here, Rose.**

Rose looked, for something, anything. The door wasn’t going to budge easily and honestly Rose just wanted inside before the invisible entity found them.

There was a window!! Rose scurried and practically threw themselves through the window, climbing through it gracelessly. Get away from the entity, get away get away _get away_

A bright flash of light, Rose stumbled, losing track of which way was up. The world around them swirled, spun, a wave of vertigo hitting their body. The concrete beneath their feet was solid, stable, and yet Rose still dropped to their knees, and felt the uncomfortable sensation of passing out.

Rose woke, laying on the ground. Old, wooden floors, covered in dust. Moonlight filtering in through a window. Rose blinked, forcing away the blurry vision, and the lingering feeling of nausea. Where-? Rose slowly stood, pulling out a flashlight and clicking it on. Why was it dark here? Why was there moonlight? Wasn’t it day time when Rose arrived?

A whisper. Faint. Quiet. “Welcome home.”

Rose chose to ignore the voice. It would be better if they even pretended it didn’t happen. There was no voice. None of Rose’s friends were nearby. The floorboards creak with every shift of Rose’s weight, and there was no voice. Only the goal. Rescue the teens from Banting. And depending on how long Rose was out, Rose needed to provide supplies. Undoubtedly others would make their way through this area, and Rose didn’t want them to be left wanting.

Rose hid one of the foam insulation canisters and wrote a quick note: _I think the invisible thing is out and about -Rose_ before continuing forward. They aimed their flashlight at the floor, looking for any holes in the ground or missteps, and refused to let themself be scared by the scenery. Who knew Banting looked like an abandoned office? Dani and his friends had to either have no fear or didn’t care when playing their games in here.

Rickety floors, the lack of light, the way the sound travels down the halls, and yet somehow there hasn’t been anyone or anything found.

“Young’n.”

Rose froze, cursing their luck. They shouldn’t have thought that, they were fine, they jinxed themselves, it happens. But WHO--??

A face with a trillion eyes! Mouth not in the space a mouth should be. Their head was bare, but so many eyes. Rose couldn’t help but meet their eyes as they blinked and faded into the skin of the skull and then reappeared elsewhere. A robe decorated in red and white. These colors felt familiar and dangerous. “What are you doing here, so late? Haven’t you heard what’s happening right now? Now’s not the time to be doing… stupid things. Come with me.”

Rose felt their heart quake. “I’m here looking for a friend. I can’t leave without them.” Rose stammered and tried to recover any form of courage they had before. “Please let me continue looking for them, I won’t cause any unnecessary trouble.” For some reason, Rose was reminded of Bea. Bea knowing many things. Bea knowing too many things, and yet still being kind, being sweet. Wasn’t Bea at one point --

The being, the entity, whatever it was looked at Rose as a whole, “Oh. Are you with RC Cola people?”

Rose laughed. RK, the RC Cola King. Gods, Rose remembered the group text message of “How can I break this man’s heart and tell him I’m not the king of RC cola”. All momentary fear relaxed at the hilarity of the situation. “Yes, I’m with RC Cola people,” Rose admitted. Which wasn’t technically wrong. If RK was the RC Cola King, and RK was part of the Banting raid, then technically Rose wasn’t lying.

It wouldn’t hold up in court, but Rose was hoping.

It smiled with its many mouths and Rose felt like they dodged a bullet. “I see. It’s down the hall, watch your step. We have a lot of dips and ups here.”

“Thank you!” Rose said with a nod. “I’ll be in and out really fast. I really appreciate it.”

The being nodded as well, and moved the opposite direction. 

Rose walked through the broken halls of Banting, moving down a spiral staircase into a narrow room. The room was filled with water, as high up as Rose’s waist, with a flickering lightbulb above a door. A locked door? There was a key-panel. Reluctantly Rose moved through the water, glad they wore some comfortable shoes, and checked the key panel. There were no smudges on it to point to the code, and the feeling of discouragement is real. But Rose kept looking, glanced around the room, the water, and found a note.

The note, waterlogged but somehow still readable, read “1719-Z”. Zaden maybe? Rose used the code on the keypad and watched the metal door rise. Free to continue, Rose took a breath and moved forward.

A room of lockers. Familiar, similar to the ones at the high school Rose once attended. Suddenly one of the lockers begins to bang violently from the inside. The noise rattles another force hiding inside the room.

In a panic, Rose attempted to climb on top of the lockers and slipped. Rose fell to the ground, flashlight rolling on the tile floor out of their hand. Whatever else was in the locker room with Rose moved closer. They could hear it. But the banging of the locker continued, and Rose opened it.

The banging noise stopped. The being that had been approaching stopped. Inside the locker was a note, written in strangely familiar handwriting. _Rose, if you’re going inside Banting, please take this with you._ A lockpick. Bea somehow got a lockpick to Rose, even here inside Banting.

“Bea, you’re a hero and I love you.” Rose muttered under their breath, stashing the lockpick with the other items in their pocket. Rose continued deeper into Banting, deeper into this weird maze and tunnels that seemed to have no end. 

A camera. A security camera this far into Banting? Why this far and not earlier? It moved back and forth, scanning every inch of the hallway blocking Rose’s progress. The unwavering eye of the camera moves constantly, and despite Rose’s hope, there really isn’t an easy way to get through. Trying to figure out a pattern to the movement makes Rose’s head hurt.

Rose hid another foam grenade, just on the other side of the door, outside of the camera’s sight. _“Keep breathing, we got this - Rose”_ It was a reminder for those who came after, and for themself.

Without letting themself second guess, Rose ran down the hallway, ignoring the screech of the camera lighting up with Rose’s presence. Sounding an alarm, letting all in the vicinity know that Rose was this far, that someone was this deep in Banting, and while this was worrisome, Rose couldn’t wait. Rose had to keep moving.

Dani had been missing almost a week already. Quinn and Ari a couple of days. Jacky had been missing for weeks. And who knew how many other people were hidden, locked inside Banting. Theoretically, this might have been where they brought August too, where they turned him into Potroast, at least for a bit. Rose was worried. Rose was scared. Who knew what was down here? Between the voice that totally wasn’t heard, no, and the being with the hundreds of eyes, and the invisible entity patrolling the halls - maybe? - and now the alarm, it was far too late to turn back now.

Not that Rose would.

But Rose was lost. Rose felt like they were walking in circles. All the hallways looked the same. All the doors seemed to lead to the same exact area. Where were they? Was Rose anywhere near where they were taken? Rose was feeling hopeless. Rose leaned against a wall trying to reorient themself. The feeling of vertigo increased.

Carefully, nervously, Rose stashed another item, a lockpick this time, with the note “Be careful, maze is confusing - Rose”, and then debated closing their eyes, looking for a guide. A hint of red? But nothing easily spotted. Rose waved away the thought of trying again, but made their way down the hallway, away from where the camera alerted people of their presence.

Moving slowly through the maze, trying to not make a sound, Rose stumbled upon a plain white room. In the center of the room sits a giant pod-like device, with the words “Sensory deprivation tank”. A terminal sits next to it, and the metal door is shut. Rose realized there was no other way forward. Rose checked the terminal and found it locked, with the words “PLEASE ENTER THE TANK TO BEGIN ANALYSIS.”

Rose took a fortifying breath and stepped inside the tank. The tank sealed, and Rose felt a slight rumble as they were lifted. Steadily their senses vanished. Floating in zero gravity. Stars, the cosmos, euclidean shapes. It became too much. Too much. Not enough. Rose kicked and screamed, begging for it to stop, to let them out.

The machine buzzed. The pod opened. “ANALYSIS COMPLETE”. The metal door slid open, and Rose felt drained. Tired. Like maybe this was too much for them. Rose patted their pockets and confirmed they still had their items. The stashed items and the items for their personal use.

They moved through the hall, stumbling, trying to regain energy before they stopped dead in their tracks. Rose was in a tiny cave passageway. At the other side was a standard doorway, but between Rose and that door stood a huge red door. A door with the symbol of an eye drawn in white. The red and white combination.

Rose stashed a firecracker with a small note, scribbled almost illegibly, _”Hope you’re doing okay. You got this! - Rose”_. Rose felt their heart pounding in their chest. They had to move past the red door. Rose had to keep moving. Rose walks past the door, and felt it in their chest the door opening. Felt the bright flash of white light as the invisible entity exits the door.

Rose ran through the door, not waiting for the entity to catch up. Rose heard the entity slam the door wide open. Rose wheezed for air, felt their body fight to just give up while they begged to not give in. It grabbed Rose. Rose fought against the pressure. Rose’s ears popped. The world went silent. The world went fuzzy. Rose gasped for air. Rose’s eyes closed.

A brilliant angel of fire spread its wings as it consumed Rose in its devoid maw.

Everything went black.

A room filled with red. Everything is red. Everything vibrated. Everything shook. There were others, but Rose was tied up. Rose felt as though the world was just moving. Like Rose could feel the very rotation of the Earth in this room, with no idea on the concept of how much time had or hadn’t passed.

Hands. Hands shook them. Hands untied their hands. Rose blinked and recognized Tobyn in the overwhelming red light. Tobyn ignored the other people in the room, and guided Rose out of the red. Out of the red that permeated everything.

Tobyn led Rose toward two individuals with many many eyes. Maybe one of them was the one from before but Rose didn’t dare try. Rose let Tobyn lead, and the many-eyed individuals blocked a door. Tobyn, calm as can be, stated the people in the red room were waking up and needed assistance.

One immediately moved towards the red room. The other stopped. “Wait a second… I don’t recognize you.”

“I’m new here.” Tobyn said. And went to head through the door, Rose followed close behind, mentally chanting “Don’t notice me, don’t notice me”

“Hey, get over here!” The being lunged at Tobyn, and grabbed Tobyn by the shirt. Tobyn was tugged to the floor and Rose tackled the many-eyed being. As it stumbled, disorientated, Rose and Tobyn bolt out the door. The sensation of being chased, of being hunted by something other than the invisible entity had Rose shaking.

There was a cave, an exit, but the path was blocked by a large boulder. A small crawl space between the boulder and the wall existed. Rose hugged themself, trying to get the trembling under control, “What do we do?!!”

The opening was maybe large enough for a human to squeeze through. Tobyn crouched down and checked. The pursuing beings were closer, and maybe one could fit in time.

“Either we should try to move this boulder or you should go through.”

Rose shook their head. “I don’t think we’re strong enough to move it. And there’s no way I’m going through before you. Get going. I will hold them off.” Rose turned towards the way they came. “GO!” they yelled.

Rose cried. Panic tears more than anything, but Tobyn was going to get out. Tobyn was going to be safe. Here came some of the many eyed beings, and a sensation of pressure. Something was watching, something was here. The beings grabbed at Rose, demanding they listen, they not fight, and Rose struggled. Rose hit and punched, and pulled one of the tranq darts from their stash, only to have it knocked out of their hand.

Tobyn was going to be safe.

Rose was knocked to the ground. Rose screamed and tugged, trying to get away as the beings dragged them along the ground by their feet. They pulled Rose back to the red room, back to that place of red everything everywhere. They pulled Rose, and tied them back up, gagged them, and left them in that red room with all the other people.

A room filled with red. Everything is red. Everything vibrated. Everything shook. Rose felt as though the world was just moving. Like Rose could feel the very rotation of the Earth in this room, with no idea on the concept of how much time had or hadn’t passed.

Hands. Hands shook them. Hands untied their hands. Hands removed the gag. Rose blinked, and recognized Melvs in the overwhelming red light. Melvs ignored the other people in the room, and guided Rose out of the red. Out of the red that permeated everything.

Once again, Rose was led through the maze. Rose’s eyes scanned for any of the many-eyed individuals. Rose scanned for anything that might hint at the invisible being’s presence. Rose felt like their heart was just constantly pounding in their chest, trying to claw its way out.

The sound of a foam grenade going off startled Rose. Melvs had thrown one at a security camera and stopped it from finding them. Melvs gestured for Rose to follow, and Rose stayed close. Tobyn may have gotten out, but the act of being separated, of making that choice was utterly terrifying. After spending so much time in this place alone, trying to make their way through, having a friend nearby made this far more bearable.

Slowly they moved through the caves, the winding corridors, and entered a large open space. The room was filled with obstacle-course-like barricades. A balance beam, a large rock climbing wall, traps and tricks lying in wait. A voice played from a nearby computer, “Welcome to the C-C-CHORUS APTITUDE TEST. Please put on your HOOD, and complete the obstacle to continue on.”

Melvs grabbed one of the red and white hoods laying next to the terminal, and handed it to Rose. The only exit, Melvs pointed out, was on top of the rock climbing wall. Reluctantly Rose put on the hood. Together Rose and Melvs fumbled through the obstacle course, bumping into each other, unable to see, but trying their damnedest to get to the rock wall anyway.

They fail the course, but the door swung open and both looked at each other relieved they could continue on.

They moved slowly through the maze, trying to not make a sound, Rose stumbled upon a plain white room. In the center of the room sits a giant pod-like device, with the words “Sensory deprivation tank”. A terminal sits next to it, and the metal door is shut.

Rose felt the shaking start up again. Rose was not going in there again, never again. 

“One of us is gonna have to go in. I would definitely offer myself to go in, but I don’t know what they’re analyzing or looking for.” Melvs was standing by the terminal. “Since you were in _there_ , maybe it would work with you? I don’t know.”

“I’m not going in there. It was terrible.” Rose shook their head. “Please don’t make me get back in that thing.”

“I.. understand. I'll go in, then. Can you operate the terminal? And just in case the door decides to shut itself before we're both through, can you try to hold it open when it does open?” Rose agreed, and took Melvs miscellaneous items to hold onto while Melvs entered the Sensory Deprivation Chamber.

The latch closed, and Rose stood there outside the Chamber. Rose breathed, Rose calmed, Rose worried. Melvs was in there for an extended period of time, but no one and nothing came and checked on the room. The pod slid open, “Analysis complete!” the machine chirped.

Rose returned Melvs’ her items, and the two continued on.

They made their way up the stairs back into the abandoned farmers market. Dark halls, low light, and an open room. Rose dismissed a noise from the corner, Melvs flashlight lighting it up and showing it was not hostile.

They take off running. The once oppressive air in Banting felt like an ocean breeze compared to the maze and catacombs below. Outside, in a car, you see CPCE drumming on the steering wheel in anticipation. The van door opens, and friendly faces from inside peer out.

Rose urges Melvs closer, faster, August smacks CPCE on the shoulder. They clamber into the van, finding more familiar faces, seeing friends, and others having gotten out. The van door closed. People in red and white, shining flashlights charge the van, but the van sped away.

Bea,  
I saw the email system is going down, and wanted to send you one last message.  
I hope you'll be safe. I hope you'll be happy. I hope you'll make Edward proud. I know what I'm doing now, and I know who I'm doing it for, and I'm prepared to give up everything to make it happen.  
If for some reason I don't talk to you again, I hope you know I really enjoyed our conversations, and that I hope you like the glow sticks I'm sending to the CCN via the mail. Rush delivery! I didn't dare chance delivering it myself.  
Keep dancing,  
Rose

“You got a choice to make.” CPCE said from the front of the van, for all to hear. “CHORUS isn’t through with Redacre. Not sure they ever will be. You can stay and fight, or leave and lay low for a while.” It was different to hear CPCE’s voice without a voice modulator distorting his voice. Or to not have to converse in a poem format to get a response. “We need people like you. Strong, willing to fight, and ready to lose it all. We can’t do this without you.”

Rose,  
Thank you so much for the kind words, I am hopeful that with Edward with me -- I can finally dance again. I really enjoyed talking to you, and thank you so much for helping me..find myself again.  
Dance with Sweet Fire,  
Bea Sweet <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Rose felt around in their pocket, feeling the Mastiff statue, and breathed. Rose came this far, there was no way Rose was leaving just yet.


End file.
